Publisher’s description:

This book explores Hegel's response to the French Revolutionary Terror and its impact on Germany. Like many of his contemporaries, Hegel was struck by the seeming parallel between the political upheaval in France and the upheaval in German philosophy inaugurated by the Protestant Reformation and brought to a climax by German Idealism. Many thinkers reasoned that a political revolution would be unnecessary in Germany, because this intellectual "revolution" had preempted it. Having already been through its own cataclysm, Germany would be able to extract the energy of the Revolution and channel its radicalism into thought. Hegel comes close to making such an argument too. But he also offers a powerful analysis of how this kind of secondhand history gets generated in the first place, and shows what is stake. This is what makes him uniquely interesting among his contemporaries: he demonstrates how a fantasy can be simultaneously deconstructed and enjoyed.

Mourning Sickness provides a new reading of Hegel in the light of contemporary theories of historical trauma. It explores the ways in which major historical events are experienced vicariously, and the fantasies we use to make sense of them. Comay brings Hegel into relation with the most burning contemporary discussions around catastrophe, witness, memory, and the role of culture in shaping political experience.

Endorsements: Available here.

Translations:

Farsi (جشن ماتم , trans. Morad Farhadpour [Tehran: Lahita Press, 2016]);

German (Geburt der Trauer, trans. Eva Heubach [Konstanz: Konstanz University Press, 2018]); P

Portuguese (trans. of Introduction, Daniel Alves Teixeira, in Lavra Palavra [2016]);

Spanish (Mal de Duelo, trans. Jorge Rodriguez [Santiago, Chile: Ediciones Macul, 2021]); Mandarin (selections trans. Wang Xiao Xinju, 美学与艺术评论, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Fudan [2019]).

Reviews: Andrew Cutrofello, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (May 2011); Jeffrey Bernstein, Journal for Philosophy of History (2012); Angelica Nuzzo, Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal 32, no. 1 (2011); J. A. Gautier, Choice 49, no. 2 (2011); extended interview/discussion with Joshua Nichols in PhaenEx (Spring 2012); Chad Kautzer, Journal of Speculative Philosophy 25, no. 4 (2011); Susanna Lindberg, Hegel Bulletin 33, no. 2 (2012); Julian Haladyn, Reviews in Cultural Theory 4, no. 1 (2013); David Jordan, H-France Review (Society for French Historical Studies) 13, no. 102 (2013); dossier on Mourning Sickness with essays by Simon Lumsden, Paul Redding, and Robert Sinnerbrink, together with my response, Parrhesia 17 (2013); Jean-Clément Martin, Revue Historique de la Révolution française 376 (2014); Jean-Philippe Déranty, Bulletin de littérature hégélienne XXIV (2014), Archives de Philosophie 77, no. 4 (2014); Sebastian Rand, Owl of Minerva 45, no. 1–2 (2014); Terence Renaud, Modern Intellectual History 13, no. 2 (Jan. 2015); Galina Ivanova, Stasis 4 (2016); Daniel Fraser, Medium.com (Dec. 2020); dossier on Mourning Sickness with essays by Ian Balfour and John McCumber, together with my response, in Emilia Angelova, ed., Hegel on Freedom and History (University of Toronto Press).

Reviews of German trans. (Die Trauer der Geburt): Linda Maeding, Literaturkritik.de (January 2019); Helmut Pillau, Komparatistik (2019); Burkhard Liebsch, Philosophische Rundschau 69 (2022).